


Eye of The Storm

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Evil Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 23:32:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16983915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Jack has been having weird dreams he doesn't remember. Does this mean Pitch is back?





	Eye of The Storm

Eye Of The Storm

Jack Frost smiled as down below the children laughed and played in the snow he had made, overjoyed by their delight in the wintery playground. The sight of their joyous faces and cheery laughter warmed his heart and he closed his eyes as he listened, fully content to sit there and listen to them all day. Before long however, he opened them again the find the field of snow completely empty. Startled and wondering where all the children had gone, Jack leaned out of his tree, confusion clear.

“Hello?” he called, wondering if this was some sort of game.

Drifting out of the tree, he landed, but there were no footprints in the snow, nothing to even show children had once been there. As he stood there, the wind howled and were the shadows getting closer? Glancing at the once beautiful trees, he found them twisted and barren. Their long branches seemed to reach for him, almost as if they were alive. Jack sprinted away, taking to the air, dashing through the trees that seemed to follow him, directing his path.

This way and that way, he flew until suddenly he stopped. Standing at the shore of a very familiar frozen lake, Jack panted and was quick to move to the center of the ice. The trees could not get him here, here he was safe. Landing on the ice, he glanced down and horror filled his soul.

Jack jerked awake, almost falling from his place in the tree branches. Clinging to the branch, he shuddered, closing his eyes, only for them to pop open when the faces ( _ the faces of the children, frozen below the ice waves, their eyes locking with his, forever trapped with looks of fear on their faces _ .) flashed before his eyes. Struggling to gather his shattered nerves, he called for the Wind.

“To the Warren!” he called as he let go, allowing the Wind to cradle him in her arms all the way there.

As he flew, he found the dream slipping from his mind, unable to keep ahold of any details until he only had the vaguest feeling of fear and horror when he thought about it. He stopped just outside the barrier, knocking twice to be let in. As a hole opened, Jack slipped in, but so did something else. Too small for the eye to see, it slipped in after the young guardian and disappeared into the shadows. Jack drifted to the floor, not shocked to see E. Aster Bunnymund waiting for him.

“Hey there, Cottontail.” Jack said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What are you doing here, you bloody showpony? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Bunnymund had no time for pleasantries.

Easter was only six months away. He had too much to do and not enough time, but as he watched the frost prince land on his island, he found himself concerned. Jack looked pale, well paler than usual, and his hands were shaking. To be honest, he looked like he had just come face to face with Pitch Black himself.

“What? I can’t stop by to say ‘hi’ anymore?” Jack teased, but there was something in his tone.

A desperation mixed in with his usual snarkiness made Bunnymund confused and wary. Jack’s eyes seem to dart around every so often, as if looking for something.

“You ok, Frostbite?” Bunnymund asked after a moment and Jack’s eyes snapped to him.

“Of course! Never better! I just hadn’t seen you in a while, figured you were probably lonely.” Jack teased.

Bunnymund huffed, waiting to call him on it, remind him that he had shown up a few days ago, but held it. It had been two years since Pitch had been defeated and while the Guardian were still trying to fix that mess, Bunnymund could honestly say the team had never been better. They had gone from having meeting once every year to almost twice a month. Sometimes, they just got together and talked, telling stories and just hanging out. Both North and he loved having someone new to tell their stories to and Jack, it turned out, was a great listener. He was often enthralled in their stories and more than once heard that Jack was passing on those stories to his growing base of followers.

Bunnymund had also learned a lot about the young guardian as well. Jack, for everything he was and tried to be, was also a young boy forever trapped between childhood and adulthood. He could be rude, snarky and a little obnoxious, but he could also be timid, shy and wary of new people. Admittedly, Bunnymund probably should have thought twice before introducing Jack to the Leprechaun, but anyway, right now, Bunnymund was seeing a side Jack didn’t show very often. His more anxious side.

Jack, as they had learned, could not sit still for the life of him. He was always moving in one way or another. Even at meetings, Jack would often float around the room or play with one of North’s newest toys, just to keep his hands occupied. Even now, he was idly drawing snowflakes in the dirt with the end of his staff, waiting for Bunnymund to invite him in or throw him out. He thought about the mountain of eggs he still had to work on and then looked at Jack’s nervous eyes and sighed.

“Fine, Frostbite, but I have work to do, so you better be ready to work as well.” Bunnymund said with a pointed finger.

Jack laughed and flew past him, making Bunnymund shiver and rub his arms before scowling. He ran after the other, easily catching up. They came to a stop near the colorful river and Jack plopped himself down in his usual spot. Bunnymund smiled as he settled down too, grabbing an egg to get started. You could have bowled him over with a feather the first time Jack had shown up at his Warren and said he wanted to help paint eggs. Perhaps it was his way of making up for the Easter that was ruined, but as far as Bunnymund was concerned, that was all in the past and it was Pitch’s fault anyway, so Jack had nothing to make up for. That didn’t mean he didn’t mind the help.

At first, he was cautious, not sure what the other was planning, but after swearing up and down he wouldn’t draw anything rude on them or mess them up in anyway (that included winter designs), he allowed Jack to stay. Much to his shock and surprise, not only had Jack managed to help him paint a lot of eggs, but it turned out the kid had an eye for detail. His eggs were often beautifully done and Bunnymund could admit that he had kept a few of the more beautiful ones for himself.

Even now, Jack sat with a paintbrush in hand and his tongue sticking out a bit, painting a small design on the egg in his hand. They sat for a while in silence, eggs slowly coming along before Jack spoke.

“So, any big plans for Easter this year?” Jack asked curiously and Bunnymund smirked.

“Well, I do have a plan or two in the works, but I’m not telling you.” he teased

“Huh? Why!” Jack whined and Bunnymund snorted.

“Because then you will tell North and he’ll try to overshadow Easter again.” Bunnymund replied bitterly.

Jack placed an egg on the ground and snorted, covering his mouth with his hand and accidentally getting paint on his cheek.

“You two really can’t get over this whole holiday thing can you?” Jack asked as he grabbed a new egg.

“Listen, North just needs to admit my holiday is better than his overdone, overly-priced mess of a holiday!” Bunnymund huffed angrily.

Jack let out a bark of laughter and Bunnymund resisted the urge to push him, worried he would crack one of their eggs. Jack managed to quiet it down a bit, letting out little giggles every once in a while before calming completely.

“What are you smirking at?” Bunnymund growled.

“I just find it funny that you two just can’t get over this.” Jack chuckled and Bunnymund glared.

“It’s about pride!” Bunnymund cried as he placed his finished egg down.

“Pride? Really? You paint eggs and he makes toys.” Jack said smirking.

“My eggs are beautiful!” Bunnymund cried and that sent Jack into another fit of laughter.

Arms crossed, he glared at the other before going back to his eggs, grumbling about ice spirits who didn’t know better.

“Hey, Bunny?” Jack called after some time.

“What?” Bunnymund growled.

“Do you think I will ever have as many followers as you?” he questioned, but he seemed nervous.

Bunnymund paused. He had thought about it, as most of them had. He had talked to North in private, wondering what would happen if Jack gained more followers. Sure, he was gaining them slowly, but not a lot. One here or two there, nothing special. He still only had a handful after two years.

“Maybe one day.” Bunnymund said before smirking.

“But I will always have more followers.” he teased and Jack rolled his eyes.

“As if, Kangaroo. One day, I’ll have twice the amount of followers you do!” Jack said with excitement.

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and went back to his eggs when a flash of light caught his attention. Glancing up, he paused, frowning as did Jack.

“I thought we already had our meetings this month?” Jack asked as he got up.

“We did.” Bunnymund replied as he got up too.

“I’ll go ahead and see what’s up.” Jack stated as he jumped into the air. 

“Not if I get there first.” Bunnymund called with a smirk and a challenge as he raced to his home and grabbed his weapons.

North using the lights must mean something big and he wanted to be ready. He tapped his foot and darted underground, racing to the Pole. He got there first, much to his delight, definitely something he was going to hold against Jack when he got here. He quickly ran inside and met up with Tooth, Sandy and North before racing over to the fire to warm up.

“Jack should be right behind me.” Bunnymund said pleased.

“Good, good, because this is big.” Nicholas St. North said, arms crossed, tattoos on full display.

“How big we talkin’?” Bunnymund asked nervously.

It was then Sandy floated over and in a small bag, he poured out some black dream sand. Sucking in a sharp breath, Bunnymund felt lightheaded and quickly moved to sit down.

“Pitch? But how?” he whispered.

“We are not sure.” Toothiana admitted, idly holding a cup of tea she wasn’t really interested in.

“But he must have gained power quicker than we believed he could. Sandy found this while delivering dreams tonight. Two children were affected.” North explained and Bunnymund swallowed.

They all waited and waited for their last guardian to arrive, but when minutes ticked by and Jack still didn’t show, Bunnymund felt a cold wave of fear go through him. He should have been here by now, only a few minutes behind Bunnymund at the speed he was flying, so where was he? Sandy was staring at the window when a “!” appeared above his head. Racing over to see what Sandy was looking at, Bunnymund could only stare as something black was suddenly flying towards the window. Grabbing Sandy, he dodged out of the way as the window shattered and Jack, covered in black sand, hit the floor with a cry.

He was surrounded, almost swallowed by the mass and Bunnymund darted forward to grab ahold of the young frost spirit, ripping him away from it with a yell. Sandy moved in and placed it hand in the middle, changing it with a wave to golden sand once more. Bunnymund held Jack close, eyes wide before a soft sob made him look down. Jack was a mess, his hoodie and pants ripped almost to pieces, his skin covered in harsh scratches and bruises. He clung tightly to his staff and pressed close to Bunnymund, seeking safety and shelter in the older guardian.

If Bunnymund had ever felt such anger, it was only when Pitch wiped out his race. To feel the young spirit shiver and shake with fear was a feeling Bunnymund had never wanted to feel.

“Jack!” North called, startled by the sight.

“Oh Sweet Tooth!” Toothiana yelled, racing over to hug Jack as well.

“What happened?” Bunnymund demanded as he got up and started moving them to a different room without a broken window.

North called for a yeti to bring a blanket and some chocolate as Bunnymund placed Jack in a chair. He also yelled for someone to fix the window.

“I-I don’t know. One minute I was flying, the next I got hit from behind and I couldn’t tell which way was up or down. I just told the Wind to just take me to North’s place.” Jack said shaking.

North came in the a blanket and wrapped him in it, eyes dark like the sky before a huge storm. Jack shuddered and black sand seemed to fall from his hair. Sandy frowned and waved a hand over Jack, changing it to gold sand and pulling it close. Toothiana sat next to him on the arm rest and pulled him towards her, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

“So, Pitch is back.” Bunnymund muttered as he crossed his arms.

“But how? I don’t understand.” Jack asked.

“We are not sure, but we will finish this now. We cannot allow him to roam free once more.” North said angrily.

Jack swallowed and nodded his head. Bunnymund noticed his hands were still shaking and sighed.

“North, we don’t even know where he is. We need to think about this before we go running off.” Bunnymund stated.

North looked like he wanted to argue, looked like he wanted to fight Bunnymund on it, but with a sigh, he nodded. If North knew anything, it was not to charge into battle without knowing what they were up against. Pitch was tricky, they could easily walk into a trap.

“Sandy, you got any ideas?” Bunnymund asked.

A bunch of shapes appeared over Sandy’s head, but they moved too quickly to read and Bunnymund was starting to get a headache. He rubbed his eyes and then frowned looking down at the top of Jack’s head. Jack’s head was resting against his arm, eyes drooping a bit. He even yawned, looking exhausted.

“Jack, Sweet Tooth, when was the last time you slept?” Toothiana asked, brow furled.

“I slept last night. Just didn’t sleep a lot.” Jack muttered, rubbing one eye.

“Why not?” Bunnymund asked and Jack frowned.

“I had this really weird dream.” Jack mumbled after some time.

The Guardians locked eyes with a sudden sense of dread. Jack, for all intents and purposes, was a child. Why had none of them ever considered that? What if that is where Pitch was gaining his power?

“What kind of dream, Sweet Tooth?” Toothiana asked cautiously and Jack frowned.

“I don’t remember most of it. I just remember it being really dark and something being wrong.” he said.

They all looked at Sandy, who frowned, arms crossed. He made a motion with hands before a bed with a snowflake tucked into it appeared.

“You want me to take a nap?” Jack asked as he yawned again.

Sandy gave a thumbs up and Jack sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck, causing black sand to land on Toothiana’s arm. No one noticed it as Jack got up and wandered over to a nearby couch. He laid down and Sandy floated over, dreams already floating in his hand. He sprinkled the sand into Jack’s eyes and soon he was asleep. Sandy watched the sand, smiling when he saw snowball fights and joy, but just as quickly it changed. In a flash, Jack’s peaceful dream turned and the sand above his head turned black.

 

-Dream-

 

Jack sat with Bunnymund in the Warren. An egg in hand and a paintbrush in the other, he was positive it would be his best work yet. Bunnymund had teased him about putting too many colors on the egg and Jack was going to prove him wrong! He had just finished the last swipe and let out a cry of delight, showing off the beautifully painted egg to Bunnymund, but just as he held it for the other to see, he watched in horror as the egg changed before his very eyes. Jack paused, face falling. Bunnymund looked over, frowning.

“Ice-cube?” he called when Jack didn’t move for a while, just stared at the egg in hand.

The egg, well, it was a dreary one. Painted in muted colors with twisted looking trees, it was certainly not something Bunnymund could hand out to kids. Jack felt his throat close up, eyes watering. What had happened to his beautiful egg? He saw Bunnymund open his mouth, ready to question Jack when Jack dropped the egg and darted away. Jack raced towards the exit, ready to bolt, fearful and upset, but just couldn’t bring himself to leave. Instead, he stood at the entrance, looking miserable.

“Snowflake?” Bunnymund called from behind him, not wanting to startle him.

“Have you ever had a dream you couldn’t get rid of? No matter how hard you try?” Jack asked, shoulders slumped in a way that was almost defeated looking.

“Frostbite, what’s going on?” Bunnymund asked and Jack bit his lip.

“I keep having this...dream.” Jack finally muttered.

Jack had hesitated to say nightmare, but that’s clearly what it was. Surely no dream could feel this terrifying or foreboding.

“What kind of dream?” he pushed.

“About children….dying.” Jack whispered, looking up at Bunnymund with those sad blue eyes.

“Dying?” he whispered back.

“Because of me. Because of my mistakes.” Jack finished and Bunnymund placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh Jack. You are already too late.” Bunnymund hissed.

The grip on Jack’s arm tightened to the point of pain and Jack watched as Bunnymund’s face twisted into something evil. Gone was the gentle face of his friend, in its place, the face of a demented beast. It opened its mouth and Jack let out a yell as the face came closer, its teeth bared and ready to tear his face open.

 

Jack shot up, eyes wide with horror. He locked eyes with Bunnymund and let out a shriek, throwing himself over the side of the couch and into the corner, staff pointed in Bunnymund’s direction. Bunnymund threw up his arms, eyes wide.

“Sweet Tooth! Stop!” Toothiana cried, moving between the two.

“Jack, you are awake! It is ok now!” North called.

Sandy readied a ball of sand and Jack shivered like a leaf in a storm. Whatever he saw was enough to send the usually strong boy running in fear. He seemed uncertain of where he was, but after a moment, his eyes cleared and he seemed to come back to himself.

“It was...a dream.” Jack whispered after a moment.

He pressed his back against the corner and slid to the floor, curling around his staff and trying to keep himself calm. Why was he so out of control? Why was he so scared? He squeezed his eyes shut and yet, even as he sat there, the dream seemed to disappear from his memory, slipping away despite his best efforts.

“Jack?” North called and he opened his eyes.

“I think this has been going on for a long time.” Jack finally said and Bunnymund frowned.

“You think?” he questioned and Jack huffed.

“I don’t even remember what I just dreamt. I just have a vague memory of fear, but nothing to back it up. Nothing to prove I even had a nightmare.” Jack muttered.

“You have no memory of it?” Bunnymund asked before looking at Sandy.

He seemed unnerved, concerned about the whole thing. His sand ball faded away and he drifted over to sit next to Jack, staring at him. Bunnymund idly sat in a chair while North and Toothiana stood nearby. Jack ran a hand through his hair and huffed.

“It’s vague, foggy. I remember the Warren, but I was also just there, so it could be my mind filling in the gaps. I remember painting eggs.” he explains, idly glancing at the paint still under his nails.

“I remember Bunny.” Jack pauses then, eyes darting to Bunnymund for a quick second before looking down again.

“But it wasn’t Bunny.” Jack finally says and just then, a howl of laughter seemed to echo around them.

The voice was familiar and hated. Bunnymund jumped to his feet, boomarang ready. North and Toothiana took up arms as well, North pulling a sword from behind the couch. Sandy stood between Jack and Pitch, whips ready. And Jack? Jack just sat there, not sure what to do.

“And there we are, boys and girls.” Pitch’s voice echoes before he steps out of a shadow to their right.

Bunnymund is tense, ready to let fly, but didn’t move. North stepped forward, muttering curses at him in Yeti-ish.

“What have you done, Pitch?” Toothiana demanded, standing tall like the queen she was.

Pitch just smiled, fingers together, looking oh so pleased with himself. When he gives a light shrug, his grin turns wicked.

“Why I just found a loophole in Man In The Moon’s little plan is all.” Pitch says sweetly.

“Plan?” North demands and Pitch nods.

He moved a step closer and Sandy snapped his whip, his threat clear. Pitch held up his hands and stepped back.

“No reason for that, old friend. I am not here to fight.” Pitch stated.

“Then why are you here?” Toothiana demanded, arms crossed.

“Why, I came to get what is mine, of course.” Pitch replied.

“There is nothing here that belongs to you!” Bunnymund growled and Pitch eyed him.

“North, do try to control your pet. I think he might be rabid.” Pitch said looking at North, who snarled.

“He is still twice the man you will ever be.” North replied.

“Tell us what you want, Pitch.” Toothiana called, glaring at both North and Bunnymund for taking the bait.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want Jack.” Pitch demanded, pointing to the frost guardian.

Jack’s eyes were wide, startled, but angry. He got to his feet, staff held out before him.

“I don’t belong to you!” Jack snapped, wind suddenly howling just outside the window.

His confidence was coming back and it was a sight to see, but just as quickly as it came back, it died. Pitch let out a laugh and smiled.

“You don’t? Alas, my dear, you did once. Remember? In the place where it was cold and dark.” Pitch voice changed to a growl and Jack swallowed.

“Where no light found you, where you floated among the icy waters. That, my dear Jack, is where you were mine. And you would have stayed mine if Man In The Moon hadn’t interfered.” Pitch said, shooting a look to the Moon outside.

“Jack?” North called, confused.

“What is he talking about, Frostbite?” Bunnymund asked.

“The lake. He’s talking about when I died in the lake.” Jack whispered and several sharp gasps were heard.

“Died!” Toothiana cried, confused and horrified.

“That’s right! Oh yes, that is right. Died, drowned in the icy cold waters of the lake you claimed as your own. There you rested with me at your side.” Pitch hissed, pleased by the horror he saw.

“And then, the Man In The Moon came for me.” Jack stated and Pitch smiled.

“That he did, ripped you from my arms like you never belonged to me. You know, it bothered me after I lost. How was it that you Guardians, you all who had lost all your followers, were still able to at least exist let alone fight still? The question plagued me.” Pitch said simply. 

The guardians watched him warily, not sure of what to make of his statement, the sudden change of pace. All, but one. Sandy had a look on his face, a look of sad realization. He glanced out the window and wondered.

“We survived because some children were able to hold on to hope! To dreams! To wonder! To memories!” North bellowed and Pitch laughed.

“Oh no, my old friend. Not ‘some children’, just one. A child eternally trapped in childhood. Never able to grow up or grow old. Never able to forget about the spirits he saw or their magic. A child the Man In The Moon picked specifically for the job.” Pitch explained.

The realization started with Toothiana. Her eyes grew wide, her hand coming up to cover his mouth. North was next, bright blue locked to the shining beacon outside, praying he was wrong. Bunnymund came next, a hard swallow and a desperate look to Jack. Jack, however, seemed to be the last to understand, but when he did, something happened.

The wind outside, which had been howling with Jack’s torment and fear, stopped. Everything was silent and then Jack spoke.

“What do you mean? Why would you say that?” Jack asked.

Pitch moved then, between one blink and the next, he was behind Jack. hands on his shoulders, he stood there, smiling. Bunnymund yelled and moved to throw his boomerang, but North grabbed his wrist. There was not enough room to hit Pitch, but not hit Jack.

“You died because Man In The Moon is cold and cruel. He knew that lake was dangerous. He knew the ice was too thin. He could have stopped you, saved you from the icy waters that ripped you away from all you knew and loved. Instead, he let you drown, let you die before your sister’s eyes and let your memories fade away. He stripped you of everything that made you Jack Overland because he needed someone that would continue, always and forever, to believe in hopes and dreams, little fairies and wondrous things. His guardians needed you and he did whatever he could to rip you away from all you loved.” Pitch explained, all the while rubbing Jack’s shoulders with his hands.

Jack’s eyes were glued to the floor, standing so still he might as well have been a statue. The only thing that moved was the shaking of his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth.

“He wouldn’t do that.” Jack whispered.

“Oh, but he would. After all, this is the same man who pulled you from the lake with just a name and nothing else. Ignored you for 300 years until he needed you.” Pitch cooed and Jack shook his head.

Sandy saw the black sand falling from Jack’s hair and glared. Pitch caught his eye and grinned.

“Man In The Moon decided to strip a young boy of his future, his life and his family for 300 years of loneliness, pain and sorrow. And he did so without a second thought, feeling or emotion. And they say I am cruel.” Pitch hummed.

One hand drifted from Jack’s shoulder and grabbed ahold of the staff Jack weakly held. Jack’s eyes snapped open, the sudden weight catching his attention, but it was too late. Pitch threw Jack forward while ripping the staff from his hands.

“NO!” Jack screamed, caught by Sandy and pulled away from Pitch.

“But, like I said, I found a loophole. A child’s fear, even an immortal one, is still just enough to feed me. So that’s what I did. I latched on to the only immortal child in this world and I fed.” Pitch finished.

Jack struggled, tore at the sand, trying to get back to Pitch and his lost staff. He babbled incoherently, begging and pleading for his staff back. Pitch twirled the staff between his hands, grinning madly. Sandy moved Jack behind the group, but the second he let go, Jack tried to jump forward, making Bunnymund catch him and hold him close.

“Bunny, Bunny, please my staff! I need my staff! Don’t let him take my staff!” Jack begged.

Bunnymund looked between the two, trying to figure out what was so important about the damn piece of wood. North looked just as concerned and Toothiana was trying to whisper words of comfort. Pitch watched this all with delight.

“Oh dear me,  Jack, don’t tell me you didn’t tell them? You didn’t let them in on your little secret? Even after all this time?” Pitch mocked.

“Secret? What secret?” North asked, alarmed.

“Why about Jack and his little wooden staff here. About what it means to him.” Pitch said running his nail over the wood and Jack whined.

“Please don’t. Please Pitch.” Jack whispered, hand reaching out.

“I’m so sorry, Jack, but I didn’t spend the last six months giving you my best nightmares for me to stop now.” Pitch cooed.

“Six months?” Toothiana exclaimed.

“Oh yes, it took longer than I hoped, but little by little, I broke down each of his defenses, searched every inch of his mind for his deepest fears and crafted the most beautiful nightmares that he would never remember, all for this one moment.” Pitch paused and looked at the guardians.

“All so that you guardians could be witnesses to the death of Jack Frost.” Pitch stated and with that, he snapped the staff in half.

Jack howled, clenching his chest as if his heart had been ripped out, making the guardians jump with shock and fright. Pitch stood there, the two pieces in each hand before he held them back together. Black sand swirled around the place where the staff broke and as he slammed the two pieces back together, the black sand infected the staff.

“And the birth of Jokul Frosti! The Nightmare Prince!” Pitch screamed.

The staff turned black with pulsing purple lines and Jack? Bunnymund and the other guardians were thrown by a blast of freezing cold power. Bunnymund covered his face with his arm and when the power died down, he lowered it. The feeling of dread and fear exploded in his chest as he stared at Jack. Gone with the bright winter spirit, whose laughter was contagious and who brought the guardians together unlike anyone else.

His once white hair was grey, tinged with black, like snow after melting. His pale skin was almost stark white now, showing the black veins underneath. His eyes, once baby blue, were purple ringed with gold. Even his hoodie and pants had changed to an oversize shawl with a hood and black pants. Jack floated there before a smile crossed his lips, black sand drifting from his mouth when he breathed.

“And there he is.” Pitch cooed, a hand held out to the reborn spirit.

Jack’s eyes drifted to Pitch and he tilted his head to the side. He seemed curious, if not uncertain.

“That’s my little frost demon. Come to me, come to your Master.” Pitch called and Jack drifted over.

“Master?” Jack’s voice sounded like that of a small child mixed with a demon’s growl.

He took the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled close. Jack took the staff handed to him and smiled, a childish glint in his eye before he looked at the guardians. No recognition was there, making their hearts sink.

“Friends?” he called and Pitch frowned.

“Not friends, my Jokul. Enemies. They wish to hurt us both.” Pitch said, placing his hands on Jack’s shoulders again.

Jack seemed to pause at that, eyes darkening. He held out his staff and with a small wave, ice erupted from the floor. The guardians scrambled to get away, just barely dodging the ice that wished to impale them.

“Freeze.” Jack muttered darkly.

He placed a hand to the floor and black ice soon covered it, making it impossible to stand. Bunnymund hopped up onto a chair while Toothiana and Sandy took to the air. North charged forward, intent on getting Jack away from Pitch, but ended up being forced back by Jack’s attacks. Jack waved his hands and the whole room became covered in ice. Bunnymund shivered and tried to keep moving. If he stopped for even a second, he was sure Jack would freeze him solid.

Pitch seemed to enjoy all of this, watching and encouraging Jack from behind, hands on his shoulders the whole time. Jack, in turn, seemed to take amusement from making them run around. His twinkling laughter was demented and loud, making Bunnymund’s ears ring.

“That’s it, my Jokul. Make them run for their lives and when you are done, we can go out and play with the whole world.” Pitch grinned.

Jack’s eyes took on a bright light and for a moment, everything stopped. Bunnymund and the others paused, waiting with bated breath as Jack stood there. Even Pitch seemed unnerved, eyeing Jack and then the guardians in confusion. Suddenly, the wind slammed into the window behind them, shattering it and sending glass shards everywhere. Bunnymund hissed as his arm was grazed, covering the wound quickly as he ducked for cover next to North. Toothiana and Sandy hid in the rafters, unable to get any closer. The wind howled and roared and Pitch let out a crackle that echoed.

“Yes, Jokul, yes! Send them running for their lives! Finish them once and for all!” Pitch called, but nothing happened.

The wind continued to howl, but Jack did not move, staring instead at the blood on the ice where Bunnymund had been standing. He seemed memorized by it.

“Red.” Jack muttered as he drifted over.

He placed two fingers in it and held it up to the light, memorized. Pitch growled, realizing Jack had lost interest in their little fight. Pitch moved quickly, grabbing Jack and smirking at the guardians.

“I suppose we will leave that here for right now, but don’t worry. We will be back to play soon, Guardians.” Pitch hissed.

Bunnymund darted out of cover, but it was too late. Jack was absorbed into Pitch’s shadows and he was gone. Bunnymund hit the ground and lay there before punching the ground with his fist, angry at himself for not being fast enough to take back their youngest member.

“Well, that was a bloody failure.” Bunnymund snapped.

North came out from behind the couch as Toothiana and Sandy drifted down from the rafters. Toothiana knelt on the ice and wept bitterly, terrified for the young guardian of fun. As she knelt there, the black sand on her arm fell and Sandy saw it. A “!” appeared above his head has he grabbed her arm.

“Sandy?” Toothiana called.

He pointed to the sand on her arm and they all stared in shock. They had a way to find Jack.

 

Pitch smiled as he looked down at the sleepy town below. It was the perfect place to start. The perfect point to begin his new reign of terror and fear. Breathing in the chilly night air, he glanced at his Jokul. The boy stood just beside him, purple eyes staring blankly at the streets below. Idly he reached out and began to stroke the boy’s hair, grinning in delight when Jokul leaned to his touch. Admittedly, he hadn’t expected Jack to revert to such a childish state of mind, but that just made it easier for him.

“Yes, my Jokul, that’s it. Submit to me and this world will fear us both.” Pitch said with pleasure.

“Now, I think it’s time for a little snow, don’t you?” Pitch asked and Jack beamed.

Floating up into the sky, Jack raised his staff and began to move it in a small circle that began to get bigger. Pitch watched with gleeful eyes as the storm began to gather. The sky darkened and the chill in the air became icy. Jack smiled the whole time, watching with twisted delight as his snow gathered. A storm this big would bury the small town completely and Pitch could already taste the fear in the air. His joy was short lived, he heard it then, bells and the sound of reindeer. He snarled as he watched North’s sleigh appear and land in the middle of the street. The guardians jumped from the sleigh, eying the growing storm with shock.

“Isn’t it glorious? Amazing what one small snow sprite can do when he puts his mind to it!” Pitch said with his arms out.

“Jack, you have to stop.” Toothiana called.

Jack looked down at them, for the first time noticing them. He pulled his arm back and floated to Pitch’s side, curious.

“Don’t listen to them, Jokul. They know nothing.” Pitch hissed.

“Jack, don’t do this! The storm is too big!” North called and Jack frowned.

He glanced at the storm, seemingly eying it for himself before turning to Pitch.

“Too big?” he questioned.

“No, no, they just don’t understand, Jokul. They have no idea what you are truly capable of.” Pitch said smoothly.

“Jack, listen to me. You don’t wanna do this. You don’t want this storm to hit. If it does, you could hurt someone.” Bunnymund begged.

Jack seemed a little taken back by that. He looked at Bunnymund before drifting closer.

“Hurt?” he asked.

“Yes, hurt. Someone could get hurt.” Bunnymund said pointing.

Jack looked up to see a small child, watching the storm from their window. Blinking, Jack frowned before looking at Pitch again.

“Hurt?” he asked.

“People get hurt, Jokul. That is the way of life. That’s how they learn.” Pitch stated as he moved behind Jack.

“Play?” Jack asked moving towards Pitch.

“Sometimes people have to learn the hard way, Jokul. Now, release the storm.” Pitch demanded.

Jack stared at Pitch and then at Bunnymund before looking at the child in the window. He seemed conflicted, his own guardian nature fighting with the black sand infecting him. The sky opened a little and the snow began to fall, but not fast enough. Pitch growled his annoyance.

“Jokul, I am telling you to release the storm.” Pitch ordered.

“Frostbite, listen to me. If you release that storm to its full potential, people could die. Children could die.” Bunnymund explained and Jack’s eyes widened.

“No die.” He whispered, eyes full of tears.

“Yes, die, Jack. Children will die if that storm hits.” North begged.

“Jokul, I am ordering you! Release the storm! Start a new Ice Age!” Pitch snarled and Jack flinched.

Jack looked between the two, snow starting to fall faster. Pitch was yelling now, Bunnymund and North yelling back. Toothiana was trying to talk to Jack and Sandy was watching the sky open with worry. Jack covered his ears, whimpering before he screamed. Ice shot out and both sides found themselves frozen from the neck down. Jack opened his eyes and while one remained purple, the other had returned to it’s icy blue.

“Bunny?” Jack’s own voice was mixing with his new one.

He seemed dazed, confused. He stood there, staring for the longest time before tilting his head up.

“Snow? But it already snowed here.” Jack mumbled as he caught a snowflake in his hand.

“Jokul! Release me this instant!” Pitch snarled and Jack stared at him.

“My name is Jack.” he muttered before shaking his head.

“Jokul? No, Jack. Definitely Jack. But Jokul sounds nice.” Jack was staring at nothing now, muttering to himself, eye twitching violently.

“Jack, Ankle-bitta, listen to me. You have to get rid of the storm.” Bunnymund said, watching in worry as the snow began to fall harder.

It seems Jack’s slip of concentration was allowing the storm to start. If they didn’t get him back on track soon, the storm would hit.

“Storm? But I like the storm. The storm is nice. Everything will be nice and white when it’s done.” Jack replied, blinking owlishly.

“No, it won’t, Jack. The snow will be too much. You must think of the children.” North begged.

Jack frowned and his face darkened.

“You are always telling me what to do.” he hissed venomously and North blinked, startled.

“‘Jack, don’t do this.’ ‘Jack, do that.’ ‘Jack, you ruined my workshop!’ I’m always wrong, never right with you.” Jack mocked angrily.

“Sweet Tooth, please.” Toothiana pleaded.

“And you. You had my memories. The whole time you had them. You never, ever even bothered to tell me! Some guardian of memories you are! Guess what! You failed!” he roared, anger getting the better of him.

“Frostbite, knock it off!” Bunnymund snapped.

Jack turned on him in a heartbeat.

“And you.” Jack snarled.

“I should have turned you into a bunny popsicle that day!” Jack snarled with such ice.

“You attacked me, threatened me, made me fear for my life over one little mistake? News flash, Rabbit! That wasn’t even my blizzard! I had already finished by the time Easter hit that year! So next time, maybe don’t blame the guy sent to clean up Mother Nature’s mess!” Jack yelled.

Bunnymund’s ears dropped, confusion clear. The blizzard hadn’t been Jack’s fault? He had blamed the wrong spirit all these years? Why had no one told him? Pitch started to chuckle, amused when Jack turned to look at him.

“And what are you laughing at, you miserable bedwetter? You think this is funny?” Jack asked, a smile on his lips.

The purple was mixing with his own icy blue to make a deep purple color. Jack, they realized, was absorbing the black sand into himself and adding it to his own power. Jack leaned in and took a deep sniff of Pitch.

“I can smell it, you know. Your fear. You didn’t expect this. You didn’t plan for this. You thought my mind would shatter and you would have some little showpiece at your beck and call.” Jack mocked and Pitch’s smile died.

“Instead, you know what I am gonna do? I’m gonna make you look like a fucking child. You want a Nightmare Prince? I’ll fucking give you a Nightmare Prince.” Jack declared, crazed.

He jumped up into the sky and disappeared into the eye of the storm. If they thought it was dark before, the clouds looked almost menacing now. The wind picked up, the snow turned to hail and the guardians plus Pitch were left to watch as the storm grew even worse. Bunnymund felt the ice start to crack and chip. With Jack gone, it was starting to weaken. A strong jerk and he was free, quickly releasing the others as well.

“Bunnymund, please let me out.” Pitch begged as the hail crushed down around him.

Bunnymund did consider leaving him there. Let him suffer for what he had done, but as the hail started to get bigger, becoming the size of golf balls, he let out a sigh and kicked the ice. Pitch was free and he was quick to flee, disappearing into the darkness.

“Coward. Ok so now what do we do?” Bunnymund yelled over the howling wind.

“We must stop Jack! Sandy, see if you can knock him out. We will draw his fire!” North yelled back.

Sandy nodded and after changing his dream sand into a small rocket, he blasted off. Bunnymund tapped his foot and appeared on top of a building. He could just barely see Jack in the storm, arms out and staff in hand.

“Hey, Show Pony!” he roared.

Jack’s attention turned to him, those purple eyes locked with Bunnymund’s. Jack opened his mouth and howled, directing the wind to attack Bunnymund and blow him away. Bunnymund ducked into one of his tunnels. When it came out, he was on the other side, watching as Toothiana flew around Jack, dodging his attacks while North yelled from the street. Jack didn’t seem to know who to focus on, changing for Toothiana to Bunnymund to North and back.

“Leave me alone!” he roared, wind sending all three flying.

Bunnymund managed to grab the edge of the roof before falling off. As he crawled his way back up, he saw Jack look at him. Jack pulled his arm back, eyes on Bunnymund and him alone. Bunnymund froze, knowing there was nothing he could do. He wouldn’t be able to move in time and then Jack got hit in the back of the head with a ball of dream sand. He held for a second before his eyes dropped and the wind stopped.

With no one to conduct the storm, it started to fizzle out. The clouds dispersed and the hail stopped. Jack’s body fell from the sky and Bunnymund felt his heart drop. There was no way to catch him in time. Just then, Sandy caught him with a cloud of sand and gave a nod to Bunnymund. Bunnymund crawled his way onto the roof before opening a tunnel and popping up next to North. All of them looked down at their youngest member and sighed.

“Let us return home.” North said pulling out a globe.

The next three days were harsh. Jack was left to fight with the black sand in his veins. Sometimes, Jack was awake, fighting anyone he could. He was yell and scream, curse them out or cry his eyes out. His emotions were all over the place and he didn’t seem to know what to do with them. Temporarily, they took away his staff to keep him from making another storm. They also took it away to have Sandy remove the black sand. 

But the worst times were when he was asleep. He seemed to be trapped in eternal, looping nightmares, and nothing Sandy did could stop them. The nightmares would not release their charge, no matter how they tried to wake him. When he was trapped in a nightmare, the only thing they could do was watch over him and attempt to comfort him.

On the night of day three, Bunnymund awoke from a short nap to see a sight that almost made him weep. Gone with the grey hair and skin, replaced once more with white hair and clean skin. His hoodie and pants were back and over all, Jack looked normal. Bunnymund moved closer and ran a hand through Jack’s hair. No black sand, nothing to show that Pitch had sunk his miserable paws into the young spirit. Jack let out a sigh and opened his eyes. Clear blue met green and Bunnymund finally wept.

“Bunny?” Jack called as he sat up.

Bunnymund just wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist and held him. Held him and cried, cried all the fear and sorrow out. Jack pat him on the head, trying to get his attention, but he needed this. Pitch had stolen so much from him and he had almost taken Jack too. As far as Bunnymund was concerned, Pitch had gotten too close to destroying his life again.

“Bunnymund, please. You are freaking me out here.” Jack panicked and finally Bunnymund pulled back.

He wiped his eyes and placed his hands on Jack’s shoulders. He flashed the other a watery smile.

“Nice to have you back, Frostbite.” Bunnymund whispered.

The other guardians soon joined them, called by an attentive Yeti watching the door. Toothiana cried, holding Jack to her chest like a mother who just got her son back from war. North also cried, mostly in Yeti-ish, so no one knew what he was saying. Even Sandy looked like he might have tears in his eyes. Jack was confused, no memory of what had happened and said as much. North sat down and explained the whole thing to him before handing his staff back. When nothing happened, they all relaxed.

“Jokul Frosti huh?” Jack muttered.

He was in shock, or that’s what it seemed like. Bunnymund wished he knew what was going on behind those blue eyes, but Jack was good about keeping his secrets it seemed and his eyes told Bunnymund nothing. Eventually, they all settled down and Bunnymund, exhausted after three days of worry, fell asleep first. One by one they drifted off, until only Jack was left. Left alone to his own devices, Jack walked out of the room and towards the globe. Staring at the little lights, he felt a twinge of something.

“I know you are there, Pitch.” he called.

The shadows seemed to shift and shake a bit.

“Leave, Pitch. You get to leave this one time.” he called before looking over his shoulder, his eyes turning a deep purple.

“Before I throw you into the icy lake and believe me, no Man In The Moon will ever find you where I put you.” Jack demanded.

The shadows settled and lightened. Jack nodded and turned back to the globe, content to watch the little lights for the rest of the night.


End file.
